Some serious conversations
by Alexia-Kate
Summary: The war is going to start anytime now and The Allied Shinobi Forces need a strategy. And someone has to build this strategy. Late at night there is work to do and conversations to have.
**I really hope I've corrected all the mistakes, but if you'll notice anything please let me know.**

 **I like it better in polish but... more people understad english so I did my best to translate this story.**

 _ **Enjoy**_

It was long after midnight and all of Raikage's residence was quiet. Everybody there were sleeping, or at least that was what a girl who had to work thought. Temari finally managed to find more or less comfortable position in one of Raikage's kitchen. This position took not one, not two but all of the chairs in the kitchen, half of the table and a part of the floor. She was mad at herself and more at her brothers cause she was the one who had to do most of the work for Main Strategist of Allied Shinobi Forces. For unknown reason Nara Shikaku asked them to prepare information about all of the ninjas who are going to fight in this war and divide them into five categories. Although he gave very detailed instuctions how to do this, which made her work easier, somebody had to do this and for Suna this somebody was her. Damn. It wasn't that Gaara and Kankurou did nothing, they divided like two thousand soldiers. But still what is two thousands compared with Suna's sixteen thousands shinobi. Right- nothing. Every other village had already passed their reports to Nara-sama and Suna was the only village which was late. Usually Temari worked quickly and effectively but after checked and divide most of the ninjas she was exhausted. Comfortable position she was in did it job and finally Temari felt asleep. Her last thought before she drifted into Morpheus's arms was something about why Gaara is using her to do his job.

Despite of what Temari was thinking she wasn't the only one who was working late this night. Several rooms again the father and the son was sitting head in head bending over reports from four villages.

"Is there any reason you wanted me here tonight?" Shikamaru finally dared to ask his father this burning question." I think that you gave them detailed instructions how to classify their ninjas, that's why our work is relatively quick. But the truth is alone you'd finish I hours ago. And you wouldn't be forced to drink this cold coffee."

Shikaku looked down at his son and sighed.

"The war is coming and everything can happen. Now I am planning our strategy for first battles but I know that you realize that our enemy might decide to attack the brain of Allied Shinobi Forces therefor Headquarters. If that happen I wouldn't be able to change strategy up to date cause I'd be dead. That would be the point where someone had to take my place. You know what kind of strategy Madara could choose fighting the army as big as ours. His best bet is to scare us and that means he has to cut the head. When it happen I want you to become The Main Strategist. I know your abilities of logical thinking in every situation. You are a good commander. You can control the situation during battle and plan it as you like. You know now ow to win incurring the least victims. That's why I know you can handle this. I want you to know soldiers you will lead. Of course you won't be a boss, Kages wouldn't let you. But both Tsunade and Gaara know your abilities. Tsunade thinks high of you and Kazekage want you to be his second in command. That means a lot. I am proud of you son. Unfortunately I think that you'll be force to make an effort during this war."

Shikamaru looked at his father with sadness in his eyes.

" I'd rather you did not die" he said quietly. No child wants to see its parent death. Especially in pointless war.

"I'd rather survived this war too Shikamru" Shikaku smiled at his son. "But I'm afraid that I could die anyway and I want you to be prepared." The man took out a token from his pocket. The token looked old. He looked down at it for a moment and gave the token to his son. " Your mother gave it to me when I was preparing to my first battle in the last war. She said that it will bring me luck and help me to go back home in one piece. I want you to have it this time. At least one of us should come back home and tell your mother how much we love her. Even if she is so troublesome"

Shikamaru took his father's token and smile at it lightly. He thought about another Troublesome Women in his life he'd rather did not lose in this war. Shikaku noticed a spark in his sons eyes. That spark told him what he'd already know, Shikamaru'd already found his own Troublesome Woman. The smile of a younger Nara changed into a big yawn. Shikaku laughed at his son. The serious moment past.

"Go to sleep" the older man ordered his son. "You know my plans. I'll tell you the rest when Suna would give me their report"

Shikamaru obediently stood up and went to his father's room. He decided to go there for one simple reason. This room was much closer than his tent he shared with Choiji. Shikaku also stood up. He took a cup with a cold coffee in it and went to the kitchen.

The view he saw in the kitchen was hilarious. First thing he noticed was a chaos. All of the chairs in the room were combined in some kind of construction so the bond girl with four, totally messy now, ponytails could sit comfortable. Girls' head was laying on a pile of documents and rest of the paper was at both table and floor. Shikaku carefully passed papers on the floor and started to make himself a coffee. He looked over his shoulder at the girl. It was a while ago when he noticed that Temari is walking like a zombie. He assumed that her brother make her do all the work or maybe she is doing it herself with a certainty that she'll do anything better than them. The older Nara knew this kind of women perfectly. His wife was exactly the same at least when it comes to raising a baby. Back when Shikamaru was an infant Yoshino did all the work around him. She was changing him, she was feeding him, bathing him etc but never let anybody to help her. Of course later she yelled at Shikaku that he wasn't helping her. Obviously.

Shikaku took out another cup from the shelf over his head and put a bag of green tea into it. After just a few days of Kage meetings he noticed that Temari didn't drink coffee but green tea instead. He make a very strong coffee for himself (he still had some work to do this night) and a tea for a girl. With remorse he stepped closer to her and put a hand on her shoulder. His second hand was prepared to catch a girl if she would be about to fall.

"Temari if you spend a while longer in this position your neck will be dying in the morning" he said softly shaking a girls' shoulder to wake her up.

Temari sleepily opened one of her eyes and saw one pineapple head over herself. She closed her eyes again.

"Go away crybaby. I don't have time to talk to you right now. I've got a lot to do"

Shikaku smiled to himself. This kid from Suna thought he was his own son. He heard the two of them arguing like that a lot when Shikamaru was her escort.

"I do not recall we know each other enough for you to call me a crybaby young lady" Shikaku always wanted a baby girl and he would love to tease her like that. "Yes you have a job to do and you are late. I was supposed to receive this paper over an hour ago. I was waiting for it."

After those words Temari literally jumped and if it wasn't for Shikaku she would ended at the floor with an battered backs.

" Nara-sama I am so so sorry. I thought you are Shikamaru you are very much alike and…" Temari felt very stupid. She should explain herself but she didn't know what to say.

"No way. You do not think that I am a crybaby?" He raised an eyebrow looking at the girl. She blushed a little. Shikaku handed her a cup with hot tea.

"Thank you very much. And again I am sorry for everything" blond girl buried her nose in the cup and was inhaling for a while with calming scent of green tea. Shikaku lean of the wall and looked at the girl.

"How much more papers you have to segregate?" he asked pointing the pile of documents with his chin. On the first page there was the remnants of her makeup. He laughed to himself seeing that.

"Only about a hundred of ninjas" she answered quickly "I wanted to finish it yesterday and give a report back to you but I didn't make it. I am so tried"

"Why you are the only one here. Where are your brothers?" Shikaku loved the question he knows answered to. According to Inoichi it was a great interrogation technique. And it was pretty great in raising a kid too. He even used it a few times on Shikamaru.

"They are sleeping. I was sure I can do it better myself. Or maybe they wanted me to think like that" she sighted and looked down at the documents.

Shikaku calculated if he can spare some time to help a girl. For the two of them it would be no more than thirty minutes.

"Ok Kid tell me your system and I'll help you. Let's do it as quickly as possible" Temari looked at him surprised and politely pointed her system. "Ok Temari let's start. You should go to bed."

The blond only shook her head and they started checking the files. After a long while they were finishing. Temari was constantly peeking at the man beside her comparing him with his son. Lately she was thinking of younger Nara more often. She was thinking about him as a man not as a crybaby. She was admiring his intelligence etc. Yeah she was thinking like a girl who was just falling in love. After the last completed file and the last number written at the paper she smile and looked at Shikaku with gratitude. She handed him a completed report.

"Suna is passing our ninja report" she smiled with a big smile

"And it is almost in time" was all of Naras' respond.

Temari stood up and started to clean up the kitchen. Shikaku was keeping an eye on her for a while and he was wondering if he really want to tell her what's in his mind. ' I could die here in the headquarters. Both of them could die on the battlefield. They shouldn't repeat our mistakes.'

"When I was going on my first war" he started quietly " my girlfriend gave me a token so I would come back to her in one piece. I didn't believe in it back then and I still don't. Despite that today I passed this token to my son with hope that it will help him survive this war and go back home. Safely and in one piece. Both he and I realize that we can die. Those who are staying in the headquarter can be killed, and those who are going to fight on the line of fire could be killed. We may not make it " Temari was focused on the talking man. " Usually I do not give advises other than strategic ones. Shikamaru asked me about relationships only once, and I do not think he was satisfied with my answer. But I like you and I can see that you and my lazy son have a lot in common and at least like each other company. Shikamaru is much like me. He would not tell you about his feelings. If you feel to him more than just a friendship you should be the one to tell him. Before this war starts. " The man took the report and his coffee and went to the door. Last words he said to Temari was " You may consider it as a fathers' blessing. I cannot imagine better daughter-in-low for myself"

After those he left.

And she was lost.

 **If you liked it please review!**

 **If you hate it please review!**

 **I really would like to know what do you think about it! :)**


End file.
